It is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,819 to combine a customer generated digital image with a prestored digital image having a predetermined location for receiving the customer generated image so as to form a single merged digital image. A customer generated image may have a variety of different aspect ratios which may be due to the original format of the image, or due to the manner in which the image was obtained, for example, segregating a particular portion of an image from a larger image. Thus, the aspect ratio of the customer generated image may not be suitable or complement the artistic effect of the prestored digital image it is to be combined with. While manual adjustment to the customer generated image or to the prestored image can be made, this results in adding significant operator time for modifying the image and further cost to the purchaser.
Thus, there is a problem in merging images in a quick and cost-effective manner without substantially affecting the desired aesthetic effect of the merged image when the aspect ratio of the customer generated image does not properly match the location in which it is desired to be placed.
Applicants have solved this problem by providing a system wherein a plurality of substantially identical prestored images are provided, each having a location of a different aspect ratio for receiving the customer generated digital image. The system includes a computer which automatically selects the appropriate prestored image and makes any appropriate modifications to the prestored image without affecting overall artistic effect of the selected prestored image.